WHAT, WHERE?

Park School is a co-ed, independent day school and nursery for children aged from 3 months to 11 years, on a quiet and leafy street in the residential Queen’s Park area of Bournemouth, about 15 mins from the beach at Hengistbury Head. With the school occupying four large Edwardian villas along the road, with trees and hedges planted out front, it’s pretty well camouflaged; you’d hardly know it was there.

The school started life in 1928 as the Palmyra School in Southsea, Portsmouth, founded by a Miss Lawrence Baker, who moved the school to its present site in Bournemouth in 1939. A later headmistress, Miss Gittings, changed the name to The Park School ‘for girls and small boys’ in 1941. Over the years, the school grew in size – they bought a neighbouring house in 1956 and added a nursery in 2008 – and there are now 276 pupils in the school and another 60 in the nursery, roughly split 50/50 between boys and girls.

Almost all pupils come from the local area or from slightly further afield in Ringwood, Ferndown, Talbot Woods, Poole, Sandbanks and Canford Cliffs, although there are some short-term pupils from overseas and the school sponsors two Ukrainian pupils. Most of the parents are professionals; many of them working at the nearby Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

As from 2021, the school became part of Forfar Education, a group of high achieving schools and nurseries in London and the south and north of England.

FACILITIES

The school occupies four large Edwardian villas, with additional buildings behind. We’re not talking acres of grounds like some independent schools; this is a compact place but with everything needed for a enriching, well-rounded education.

Two Reception classes – Koalas and Pandas – are in a jolly, open plan, free-flow space, with four teachers/teaching assistants and only 15 pupils per class. On my visit, the children were having some down time, sitting entranced by a screening of a fairy tale ballet. New climbing equipment will soon be added to Reception’s outside space – not only even more fun for the kids but great for developing gross motor skills, too.

I popped my head into some of the good-sized classrooms for Year 3 and beyond, where pupils sit at those traditional wooden school desks where you lift the desk top to store your pencil cases and books inside. They have the privilege – and responsibility – of looking after their own possessions. Some were working on wipeable white boards on their desks in one class; in another, pupils enjoyed some mindful colouring-in, whilst listening to the teacher read a book.

Small ‘teaching assistant’ rooms are dotted about the place for small-group work. They’re used for children working on individual projects, for those needing extra support or taking on extension work; ‘there’s no ceiling on what you can achieve’ is one of the mottos here.

Art is as important as English and maths, with lots of crossover into other subjects on the curriculum. It all takes place in a light and airy studio space with a high pitched ceiling – perfect for hanging a giant wicker whale left over from an earlier art project about plastics in the ocean and now reminiscent of the blue whale in the Natural History Museum – and plenty of space for everyone to get creative.

Assemblies, indoor sports and school lunches all take place in the school hall. Classes take turns to hold whole-school assemblies, with pupils as young as 4 years speaking in front of the rest of the school and parents. Brilliant for confidence building.

The ICT suite does what it says on the tin, with rows of PCs for the kids to learn coding – a particular favourite for Park kids – sometimes using Lego Logic sets (huge fun!).

Music is a lively department with the opportunity for kids to learn a wide range of instruments, from orchestral to acoustic and electric guitar. Taster sessions lead on to lessons, training orchestra, school orchestra, assembly concerts and exams in music – the school’s an exam centre so pupils can sit their exams in a familiar, comforting environment – and drama.

There’s lots to keep energetic little people occupied in the playground: a climbing wall, an enclosed astro pitch and lots of outdoor table tennis tables. It was grey and wet on my visit but some of the school’s pink-coloured buildings – it’s a little bit Toy Town – with a striking, life-size tree mural created from pupils’, teachers’ and parents’ hand prints, and a jolly mural on another building – brightened up the day. In the summer, an array of colourful canvas awnings create shade.

Pupils jump on a school minibus once a week and whizz off to Dean Park, their seven-acre sports ground in the centre of Bournemouth, for games lessons and competitive matches – athletics, rounders, tri-golf, netball, football and rugby – on grass and all-weather pitches.

A dedicated area in woodland opposite the school makes for a very handy forest school; there are fire pits for toasting marshmallows and everything needed for whittling wood and other bush-craft activities, over at Dean Park.

SPORTS

The school’s strongest sports are football and hockey. Junior pupils play squash at a local tennis club. It’s paying off: one of the pupils is the U11 boys’ national squash champ. Don’t get into a fight with them; pupils here hold more black belts in karate than any other school in the country.

NURSERY

The 51-week nursery is set over two floors. On the first floor, it’s shoes off in Acorns, where you’ll find the youngest members of the school (from 3 months to two years,) in two lovely pastel and super peaceful rooms. There are simple, age-appropriate toys and activities, a messy area, plus a sleep room with cots, soothing music and subtle white noise zzzzzzz. Staff follow each baby’s individual care routine and spend time outside in a covered garden area.

On the ground floor, children from the age of two are in Oaks and then progress into Mini Maples at three and Maples in their pre-school year. All areas are buzzy, free flow and packed with activities for constructive play, like making artworks, sand tables and puzzles – plus Tina the turtle (the children went to buy her and helped organise her tank).

The nursery’s own safe and secure garden is filled with a slide, a mud kitchen, projects, plants and flowers – they take part in Bournemouth in Bloom – and lots more. They provide a broad and balanced programme following the Early Years Foundation Stage and Birth to Five guidance.

Staff use large whiteboards to record their planning, each child’s interests and how these have been extended. They send daily updates and information to parents via the Blossom Education online portal.

ACADEMICS

Entry to the school is non-selective but they make a lot of effort to ensure Park is the right school for each child. There are two classes per year and never more than 20 pupils in a class, with specialist teachers for sport, music, art, science French, Spanish and Early Years. The curriculum is based on the National Curriculum but is themed for each term – based on a two-year cycle – with topics crossing subject areas as much as possible. Key areas of learning are Park Knowledge (related to the environment, pupils’ past, present and future and the wider world); STEM Learning (maths, science, design tech and ICT) and Park Sport.

Pupils don’t sit the Common Entrance but they do sit CATS (which test ability) and SATS (which test achievement). Last year, the national average for achieving expected standards in reading, writing and maths in the SATS was 59%. Impressively, almost all – 95% – of Park pupils reached or exceeded those standards.

Around 70% of pupils move onto the local state grammar schools; others go into the grammar school sets of some of the top state schools in Dorset (like The Thomas Hardye in Dorchester and The Woodroffe in Lyme Regis); some use their excellent SATS results to help nab scholarships to senior independent schools, including the co-ed Bournemouth Collegiate and the girls-only Talbot Heath.

HEAD TEACHER

Head teacher Melanie Dowler – a software engineer turned teacher with 30 years’ teaching experience – was a Park mum before joining the school as a teacher in 2011 and becoming Head in 2017, so she really does see the school from every angle. Warm and approachable, she’s very hands-on and seems to be involved in all aspects of school life. You might find her teaching science, ensuring a child who’s fallen over is OK, serving lunch (on Tuesdays, teachers serve the pupils lunch to reinforce the ethos that everyone’s equal and all deserve respect); her door is always open.

At Park, an excellent education is a given – it’s the journey that matters – and here, that’s a journey led/influenced by the children’s own interests and experiences and linked to where they live, allowing them to take ownership of their education.

She talks about the PARK values: to be Polite, Ambitious, Resilient and Kind and the importance of identity: ‘once a Parky always a Parky’. Children are encouraged to have a go. The school puts challenges in place and helps them to develop strategies and resilience from an early age. The aim is for children to be lifelong learners with a passion for education and to be the best they can. And it’s all within the context of a happy, family-focused environment.

REPORTS

The school has been graded ‘Excellent’ in all areas in the latest report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), equivalent to Ofsted in the state sector. You can read the full report here.

PASTORAL CARE

There’s a buddy system between Year 6 and Reception.

Pupils can drop into wellbeing sessions in the pastoral room, where they’ll find a teepee, sofa, toys, games, fidget thingamabobs, wriggle worms – big cuddly bears – and Ella Whitbread, a full-time pastoral and ELSA Lead, who’s always ready to chat. She aims to help the children to understand their emotions, to know it’s OK not to feel fine all the time and learn what they can do to help themselves.

Pastoral and SENCO work closely together, with help given to any of those pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia and the like.

WHAT ELSE?

Family and community lies at the heart of everything they do. They were the only independent school in Bournemouth to stay open during Covid for keyworkers – remember I said lots of parents work at the nearby hospital? – with converted classrooms, bubbles of 12 and lots of extra teachers.

Park Penguins, a new Friday morning playgroup for parents and toddlers, is free to all.

The director of studies is a parenting coach, running parenting workshops half-termly, outside of school (where can I sign up?!).

Every child in the school’s name goes up on a leavers’ board – not just the scholarship winners (though there are boards for them too) – after all, every single child is, and always will be, part of the school’s history.

There’s no head girl or head boy. All Year 6 pupils can apply for sports and house captain roles, or to be a prefect, by giving speeches to the pupils and staff and winning the vote. That way, everyone has the chance to take on a leadership role within the school.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

No phones in school; pupils who carry them whilst walking alone to and from school hand them into the office during the school day.

TRANSPORT

Everyone gets to school under their own steam.

QUIRKS & BOASTY BITS

Once a term, each year group heads down to Hengistbury Head, an unspoiled pebble beach and nature reserve with a dedicated area and classroom, for Beach School.

Hengistbury Head, towards Southbourne. Photo: Jack Pease Photography, pXhere

Reception children might spend time watching the vast expanse of sky and the waves crashing down on the sands engendering a sense of awe (research has shown that feeling ‘awe’ is beneficial for both mental and physical health). Year 6s might measure the height of the waves or work out the wind direction. It’s not just about learning X and Y but having experiences and creating memories along the way. Rather wonderful, don’t you think?

Pupils can join a sign language club with qualified teachers. Older children have sessions where they pass on their skills to the youngest.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Drop your little darlings off for breakfast club from 7.45am to 8.30am. After school clubs run from 3.45pm to 5.45p, with a hot tea too, if parents wish. Teachers run the clubs they’re passionate and include chess, mindfulness, art and craft, dance, choir, karate, badminton and table tennis. They’re very responsive. When pupils and parents found that there was no availability in local gymnastics clubs, the school hired a teaching assistant with gym coaching skills to plug the gap, and international gymnast Mr Winner now offers three sessions a week.

Holiday clubs for art, sport, forest school and beach club (yes please!) run throughout the school holidays for Park children, from 8.30am – 4pm.

FEES

2024/5 fees, termly unless specified otherwise: Nursery £40.50 per morning/afternoon session, £79 per day; Reception £3,000; Year 1 £3,225; Year 2 £3,460; Year 3 £3,740; Year 4 £4,200; Year 5 £4,310 and Year 6 £4,330.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Parents value the community feel and all-round education as much – if not more than – the high academic standards. They like the way the children learn through a mix of theory and practical lessons in an open environment where they are comfortable to engage, ask questions, express views, explore topics in fun but structured small class groups. Children are encouraged to be ambitious. Staff work hard very hard to make the school a lovely environment for learning and having fun. The music department is ‘excellent’, not just for the range of opportunity but the confidence it builds and everyone is encouraged to take part. After school clubs across the age range allow friendship networks to develop.

And the pupils? I spoke to a couple of older girls, very proud of their ‘cute little school’, where where the teachers are ‘strict enough but good’ and ‘school dinners are nice’.

MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Very much part of the local community, this is a small and happy, family-focused school where each child is nurtured, imbued with a love of learning and encouraged to be the best they can be. It’s ideal for those who’d like the option of moving onto Bournemouth’s grammars and the best local state schools as well as the independent sector.

Not for: If you want a traditional prep in a grand country house set in acres of manicured grounds, look elsewhere.

Dare to disagree? Take a guided tour, meet some of the pupils, the staff and the Head on one of their open mornings or call the school on 01202 396640 to arrange an individual visit.

Park School, 43 Queens Park South Drive, Bournemouth, Dorset BH8 9BJ. 01202 396640.

Park School, Bournemouth

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